Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Creative Director Jonathan Dumont says players' response to the Shadow Heritage DLC has been a "learning experience" for the developer.

The ending of Legacy of the Blade's second installment sees the player funneled into a heterosexual relationship resulting in a baby, regardless of their actions and choices in the main game, or its DLC.

Ubisoft's initial response was to assure players that the third episode would explore "the motivation behind this relationship," adding that it is part of a "set story."

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Since then, a second statement has been released (via Kotaku) in which Ubisoft admits it "missed the mark," underestimating players' attachment to the game's protagonists.

"Reading through player responses of our new DLC for Legacy of the First Blade, Shadow Heritage, we want to extend an apology to players disappointed by a relationship your character partakes in. The intention of this story was to explain how your character’s bloodline has a lasting impact on the Assassins, but looking through your responses it is clear that we missed the mark."

"Alexios/Kassandra realizing their own mortality and the sacrifice Leonidas and Myrrine made before them to keep their legacy alive, felt the desire and duty to preserve their important lineage. Our goal was to let players choose between a utilitarian view of ensuring your bloodline lived on or forming a romantic relationship."

"We attempted to distinguish between the two but could have done this more carefully as we were walking a narrow line between role-play choices and story, and the clarity and motivation for this decision was poorly executed. As you continue the adventure in next episode Bloodline, please know that you will not have to engage in a lasting romantic relationship if you do not desire to."

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An Ubisoft rep has also confirmed that while Shadow Heritage will not be receiving any kind of update to change the ending, the trophy received after having the baby will be renamed, after it garnered backlash from players who felt that the name - Growing Up - implied that not having a child or being gay made them less of an adult.

"It was definitively not written with that intention. This was an oversight in the review process and we very regrettably missed it," said Dumont. "We share the frustration of players who find this offensive and the achievement/trophy name will be changed when DLC 1.3 patch is available.”